


Like Real People Do

by MeghanAnna



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:52:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3727837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeghanAnna/pseuds/MeghanAnna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clarke tries to escape a party only to stumble into someone else's escape route. Together, they make it back inside alive only to be pulled apart instantly. Thankfully, they run into each other once more the following night and things start to fall into place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Real People Do

**Author's Note:**

> I watched the movie The First Time last night for probably the fifth time and though this story does not follow the exact same storyline, it was most definitely inspired by it. Yes, it's movie about a cheesy high school romance. Well, guess what? This is a cheesy college-aged romance. Deal with it. I like romance. The cheesier, the better, I say.

 

She needed to get away from the noise and the people. She needed to breathe. What she didn’t need was to stumble into the exact alleyway where some guy was lighting a cigarette.

Clarke sighed, starting to turn away, and the guy called out to her. “I won’t light it,” he promised. She stopped in her tracks and turned slowly to face him.

“Light your cigarette, ruin your lungs, I’ll find somewhere else to escape to,” she insisted, offering him a tight smile. When he slid the cigarette into his jacket pocket and smiled back, she realized just how good looking he was. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“I wanted to,” he shrugged before sliding down the wall to sit on the pavement. She hesitated but did the same thing next to him. “Why are you looking to escape?” He asked, still toying with the lighter in his hand.

Clarke watched the flame appear and disappear three times before she decided to answer him. “I hate parties,” she told him, eyes on the flame, but she could feel his eyes on her. “I hate… People,” she laughed and he chuckled next to her.

She finally looked at his face again. “I hate people, too,” he admitted, a soft smile gracing his features. “ _Most_ people,” he amended.

“Is that why you’re out here _not_ smoking?” She asked him and he just shrugged. She continued watching him, waiting for him to say something, but he just threw the lighter in his hand across the alleyway until it hit the opposite wall and fell to the ground. “One of those nights?”

“Something like that,” he laughed, looking at her again. She flushed under his gaze, happy it was too dark for him to see it. “I don’t actually smoke… Anymore, at least.”

“Good. Smoking’s bad for you.”

“So I’ve heard,” he said with a smirk. “I’m Bellamy, by the way.”

“Clarke,” she told him. “You’re Octavia’s brother, right?”

“She’s not here, is she? I’ll kill her.”

“She’s not,” Clarke promised with a laugh and she pushed herself closer to him. Now that she knew she had some connection to him, she wasn’t so afraid to be alone in an alleyway with him. “I begged her to come, but she had a feeling you’d be here.”

“Well, I do _live_ here,” he reminded her and she nodded. “What are you doing here? Who are you trying to impress?”

“No one,” she promised, looking down at her outfit—a too tight skirt and a shirt that dipped just slightly lower than she was used to. “This is the work of your sister and Raven. Thank them.”

“Oh, I will,” he insisted and her face heated up.

“They think I need to find a new guy,” she explained quickly, avoiding his eyes. “Apparently it’s time to move on from the cheating ex and go out with someone new and exciting.”

She was talking like a news reporter, her head tilting with each new syllable and Bellamy only chuckled next to her.

“Any luck?” He asked, nudging her with his elbow and she _swore_ she didn’t feel any sparks.

“Oh, I’ve got a movie date tomorrow,” she answered, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, I only agreed to it because Raven was right there and I needed to get her off my back.”

“So you said yes to the first loser who asked?” He said incredulously and she shrugged, defeated. “Had you only just waited…”

“What? _You_ would have asked me out?” She laughed and he shrugged before standing up.

When he offered her his hand she glared at it before reaching for it and he pulled her to stand. “I guess you’ll never know,” he said, letting her hand fall. “You need a ride?”

“Nope. Monty’s DD and he’s been on his best behavior all night.”

“Good,” Bellamy said nodding toward the front of his building. “I’m glad I finally got to meet you.”

Clarke didn’t even think that he would know who she was just by her name and mentioning her relationship with Octavia, but it felt kind of nice knowing she was important enough for the two of them to talk about her.

“I’m glad I finally got to meet you,” she agreed and he smiled before putting his hand on the small of her back and leading her back into the party.

\--

The line to get into the movies was longer than Clarke was hoping. Her date wouldn’t shut up about… Honestly, she wasn’t sure what he wouldn’t shut up about because she’d tuned him out five minutes ago.

“Nope.”

Clarke turned to see who was standing behind them and blanched when she saw Octavia, Raven, Monty, some kid she remembered from the party named Monty, and Bellamy—of course. She hadn’t stopped thinking about him since she ran into him in the alley outside his apartment building. Once they’d gotten back inside, she was pulled away from him by Raven and she only saw him across the room and in passing the rest of the night.

“No,” he said again, looking between Clarke and Murphy, her date.

“What?” Octavia asked, pulling on the sleeve of his plaid shirt. It took a second for him to stop looking at Clarke and turn to look at his sister.

“Nothing,” he insisted. “O, this is my friend… _Murphy._ ”

“Nope,” Octavia said, smiling tightly at Clarke and then glaring at Raven. “ _This_ is who she’s going out with?” She asked quietly and Clarke rolled her eyes before chancing a look at her date.

“What are you guys even doing here?” Clarke asked before Raven had the chance to answer.

“Bell wanted to see a movie and we had nothing better to do,” Octavia shrugged. Clarke bit her lip to keep the smile off her face and looked up at Bellamy. “Did you two meet last night, too?”

“Yeah,” Clarke nodded, eyes still on Bellamy who refused to look at her. She kind of liked making him squirm. “Your brother and I had a nice talk last night.”

“Really?” Raven asked. “Because I didn’t see you talking to him at all.”

“That’s because you were too busy making out with Wick and setting me up on dates,” Clarke reminded her and her face went white. “Sorry Murphy. You remember Raven, this is Octavia and Monty. You know Bellamy and Miller, right?”

“The three of us were in school together,” he confirmed. “Until I dropped out, at least.”

 “Huh,” Clarke breathed. “What do you do for work?”

“Nothing right now,” he said and Clarke chanced a look at Bellamy who just sighed and shook his head. “I’m between positions.”

“Next.”

Clarke turned slowly to walk up and order her movie tickets. Murphy gave her money for one and told her he was going to grab the popcorn. Before she ordered anything and after he walked away, she turned back towards her friends.

“Come to this movie, please,” she begged, holding onto Monty’s hands tightly. “I can’t sit with him in there alone.”

“This is my fault,” Raven said looking between Clarke and the rest of their group. “So, I think it’s only fair that we help Clarke out.”

“I agree,” Bellamy spoke up and both Miller and Octavia shot him surprised looks. “Listen, I know Murphy and he’s not the kind of guy you want your friend out on a date with,” he said to his sister before nodding Miller off.

“Okay, go buy your tickets,” Octavia said, reaching for Clarke’s hand. “We’ll be in there.”

“Thank you,” she said with a squeeze of the hand before throwing a grateful smile at Bellamy. He nodded—just barely—and she turned back toward the ticket counter.

When the six of them found Murphy, he was standing by the concession stand waiting for Clarke. “I only got enough popcorn for the two of us,” he said weakly when he realized the rest of them were joining.

“Dude, you only got enough popcorn for _you_ ,” Miller said, looking pointedly at the smallest bag possible.

“So, what?” He said, putting an arm across Clarke’s back. “Are we watching this movie or not?”

The six of them walked in together and found seven seats in the same vicinity—two in one row, five in the one behind it. Clarke almost cried tears of joy when Monty sat down in one of the double seats and Miller sat next to him. Bellamy led the group into the next row with Octavia behind him, then Raven and Clarke and Murphy.

They got in with just enough time to catch the tail end of the last preview and get comfortable before the movie actually began. Thankfully, Murphy was so interested in the movie on the screen, he showed no interest in Clarke. But while Murphy was watching the movie, she could feel Bellamy watching her—even from four seats over. She sat as far back in her seat as she could and turned her head, catching his eye. He didn’t even pretend like he wasn’t already watching her.

While the two of them just looked at each other, glancing at the movie every few seconds to make the staring less obvious, Clarke couldn’t help but remember the way his freckles dusted across his nose and over his cheeks when they were waiting in the line. It was the first time she’d seen him in a well lit room and even now—even in the dark of a movie theater—she could still remember where each one fell on his face.

\--

Once the movie ended, the group of them made it out to the lobby and kind of hung around until the rest of theater trickled out around them and they were left mostly alone.

“So, uh, you ready?” Murphy asked, looking at Clarke and she started to nod.

“She’s my roommate,” Raven spoke up and Clarke let out a quiet sigh of relief. “She can grab a ride with me. It just makes sense.”

“Hey, that works for me,” Murphy said, nodding at Bellamy and Miller. “See you around, Princess.”

They watched him go and Clarke turned to Raven with daggers in her eyes.

“I know,” Raven said quickly before Clarke could even yell at her. “But he’s gone now and I think he got the hint that you’re not interested. Come out with us. We’re going to Grounders.”

“What? So you can try this again?” Clarke laughed humorlessly. “No way. No thank you. And I _hate_ Grounders.”

“Come on, Clarke,” Octavia pleaded. “Just for one?”

“I’ll take an Uber home,” she insisted. “You guys have fun.”

“Are you sure?” Monty asked and Clarke nodded. “I can drive you home and meet everyone there later.”

“No, go,” Clarke insisted before hugging him. “And make a move on Miller, man. He’s totally into you,” she said just loud enough for him—and him alone—to hear. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he said with a small smile when he pulled away. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Clarke nodded as they walked away from her, but Bellamy stopped walking as soon as he was next to her. “Would it be weird if you went on two dates with two different guys in one night?” He asked her quietly and she looked up at him. He was still watching their friends leave, but he was smiling. When Octavia turned and called his name, he waved her off and called, “I’m going home. I’ve got go to the library in the morning.”

“Suit yourself,” she called back. “Night losers.”

“Goodnight,” they called after her and she turned—her hair fanning behind her.

“So?” Bellamy asked as he turned toward her and Clarke swallowed before turning to face him.

“You’re one of my best friend’s older brothers,” she reminded him and he shrugged as if he couldn’t care any less. “I’m a sophomore. You’re a senior. There are plenty of other girls you could be dating far better suited for you, I’m sure.”

“I’m not,” he insisted. “I’m not sure at all.”

Clarke sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as a smile spread across Bellamy’s freckled cheeks. She rolled her eyes—more at herself for what she was about to say than anything else.

“Then, let’s go.”

\--

She sat in Bellamy’s car—a little black Camry that had seen better days, but that had the most comfortable, worn in seats she’d ever experienced—and kept her eyes on him while he kept his eyes on the road.

“You don’t even know me,” she said suddenly, and he glanced at her quickly with a furrowed brow before focusing back on the road. “How could you possibly know you want to spend any real time with me?”

“You went on a date with _John Murphy_ after only knowing him for half of a party,” he reminded her. “And I can’t imagine the two of you even had a real conversation.”

“Neither did we,” she laughed and he stopped at a stop light and turned to look at her with a raised brow. “We barely spoke last night.”

“Octavia talks a lot,” he said and she nodded, knowing that fact very well already. “About you. You’re good for her. She loves you. I know plenty about you. And you know just as much about me, don’t you?”

“Yes,” she admitted and he smiled triumphantly as the light turned green. When they were moving again, she put her elbow on the center console and rested her chin in her hand. “But why _me_? Why not Raven? Or, like I said before, someone, you know, your age?”

“Two years is nothing, Clarke,” he laughed. “And there are plenty of reasons guys would want to go out with you. I have mine, so would you just shut up and deal with it?” He asked with a playful laugh and she punched his thigh with a shake of her head.

“Fine, then where are you taking me?”

“Does anyone ever tell you that you ask too many questions?”

“All the time,” she smiled and he chuckled, nodding his head as they turned onto a dirt road. She was about to ask where they were going—again—but she decided to keep her mouth shut and just let him do what he was planning to do anyway.

They drove down the dark street for a long time before he turned again, pulling into a small parking lot. There was a small beach and the lake right in front of them and Clarke could swear, from where she sat, she could see every single star in the sky.

“They’re even better if you get _out_ of the car,” Bellamy said when he heard her gasp and she looked over his shoulder to show her appreciation with a smile. “Come on.”

They got out of the car and sat on the hood of it so their backs were reclined against the windshield.

“Is this where you bring all the girls?” Clarke asked quietly—even though there was no one around them for at least a mile, she felt like she had to whisper under the vastness of the sky above them and near the quiet lapping of the lake on its shore.

“No,” he promised, his head falling to the side to look at her. She smiled up at the stars a second longer before her head fell to look at him.

“Octavia never mentioned how romantic you are,” she told him, still whispering.

“Yeah, well, I usually don’t go around telling my little sister about my dates,” he whispered back. She laughed, completely understanding why an older brother wouldn’t want to share those kinds of details with his sister. “She never told me how pretty you were.”

“Shut up,” she said, looking back at the sky.

“Clarke, you’re _beautiful_ ,” he said and she sighed before sitting up and sliding off the car. “What are you doing?”

“Is that why you asked me out?” She wondered out loud, walking onto the sand. “Because I’m _pretty_?”

“No,” he insisted as he slid off the car to catch up to her. Once he did, he reached for her hand and made her look at him.

“My last boyfriend only dated me because he thought I was hot,” she told him. “And by the time he realized he wasn’t interested in me for anything other than my looks and sex, he was too afraid to break up with me, so he cheated on me. I’m not going through _that_ again.”

“Whoa,” Bellamy said, reaching for her other hand. “I like you, Clarke. Yeah, you’re gorgeous, but from last night and everything my sister has told me about you, your looks are not the most appealing thing about you.”

She nodded and he hesitantly pulled her body toward his—a difficult feat considering the heels of her boots were slightly sunk into the sand—and she sighed contentedly when one of his hands left hers and landed on her cheek.

“You keep saying all the right things, Bellamy Blake, and I just might kiss you,” she warned.

“You want to go see some gorillas at the zoo next weekend?” He asked, his face just inches from hers.

“You son of a bitch,” she said, standing taller to press a feverish kiss to his lips. Damn Octavia for telling her brother about her obsession with gorillas, monkeys, and all things primates.

\--

They did go to the zoo the next weekend, but before that they met for coffee twice, dinner once, and had an unplanned meet-up at the Dropship. When Clarke didn’t come home after that last one, Raven finally got off her back about needing to move on from the cheating ex, but Clarke still refused to tell her whose bed she slept in.

“I like this,” she murmured the morning after their day at the zoo as she got comfortable against his bare chest.

“Mmm,” he hummed against the crown of her head. His fingers moved lazily up and down her waist while hers traced the lines of his collarbone and the plane of his chest. “Does your roommate know that you’re sleeping with your little sister’s friend?”

“I know my roommate is sleeping with my little sister,” he said and Clarke gasped. “Yeah, thanks for telling me,” he said sarcastically.

“Hey, she was my friend before you were my… _Whatever_ this is,” she reminded him and he laughed.

“I don’t actually care,” he promised. “Octavia’s a big girl and Lincoln is a good guy. But, no, he doesn’t know that we’re dating. And I think it’s safe to call it that at this point, don’t you?”

“I guess,” she said, smiling against his chest as she kissed it. “We can tell her whenever you’re ready, you know?”

“I kind of like it being between us for now,” he admitted. “I don’t want people getting in our business just yet. It’s still new.”

“You’re a wise man,” she commented as she climbed on top of him. His eyes opened slowly and one of his unruly curls fell into one. She straddled his hips, leaned over, blew the hair away, and kissed him with all her might.

“I’ll show you just how wise I am,” he promised, flipping them over so he was settled between her thighs. As he pushed into her, he stifled a moan against her neck and Clarke swore she never wanted to wake up any other way ever again.

But the more they woke up together, the more secrets she was keeping from her friends. Every time she came home in the same clothes as the night before, Raven begged her to tell her where she’d been spending her nights.

“It’s still new,” Clarke insisted each and every time. “When I know it’s real, you’ll know everything.”

And each time she did, Raven sighed and said, “Fine.”

Ever since Octavia realized they could all hang out as a group—their friends with Bellamy and his friends—that was all she wanted to do. That’s when things got difficult, when they were hanging around Bellamy and Lincoln’s apartment together, and she couldn’t touch him or look at him too long. And when everyone left, she had no excuse to stay behind.

“Bellamy’s happier lately,” Octavia mentioned one night as they walked out to their respective cars. Clarke didn't want to think it had anything to do with her, but she couldn't help it. “I think I’m going to tell him about me and Lincoln.”

“You should,” Clarke insisted. Even though Bellamy already knew the truth, she knew he wanted her to tell him herself. And she felt like if she went first, he would be more inclined to tell her about him and Clarke.

\--

“Keeping this between us was fun, Bellamy,” she said one night when the rest of their friends were otherwise occupied, “But I am a terrible liar and I don’t like lying to my friends.”

“I’m a private guy, Clarke,” he reminded her, pulling her against him by her waist. His hands were underneath her shirt and his thumbs were brushing underneath the wire of her bra as his lips descended on her neck. “And it’s no one’s business.”

She tried to object and tell him that their friends would be happy with the news, but then his tongue slid over her pulse point and her fingers got lost in his curls when he pulled him tighter against her body and she lost all train of thought.

The next morning when Clarke woke up against his chest, under the weight of his arm holding her against him, she heard voices murmuring from the kitchen and her heart sped up. “Bellamy,” she hissed, scratching lightly at the skin of his chest. “Bell.”

“What?” He asked groggily, tuning onto his side so he could tuck her underneath his chin.

“People are here,” she said, pushing him away. She jumped out of bed and rifled around his room collecting her clothes when she heard a familiar laugh.

“Shit,” he said, joining her. “What the hell is my sister doing here? I thought Lincoln stayed at her place last night.”

“She wants to tell you the truth about them,” Clarke said. “We can too.”

“No,” he said harshly and she stepped away from him as he pulled the shirt over his head. “Sorry,” he said as soon as he realized how he sounded. “Just give me a little time, okay? “

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’ll hide in here while you go find out your sister’s been fucking your roommate,” she promised and he looked at her with his stupid puppy dog eyes—like she wasn’t supposed to be upset that he kept wanting to hide their relationship from the most important person in his life.

She got back into his bed—only now in her jeans and sweater—and looked pointedly at the door until he finally left and closed it behind him. She listened as well as she could as Octavia came clean and when Bellamy was finished telling her and Lincoln that he was happy they were together, Clarke held out hope that he’d come clean about their relationship.

But he didn’t and by the time Octavia and Lincoln were gone for brunch, Clarke realized that he didn’t want people to know because he was ashamed of it, of their relationship.

“Sorry about that,” he said, closing the door behind him again. As he pulled his shirt over his head and stepped out of his sweatpants to get back in bed, she climbed out and walked to the door. “You don’t need to go.”

“And you don’t need to tell your sister or any of our friends that we’re together, that we have been together for two months now,” Clarke smiled tightly. “Because there’s nothing to tell anymore. I’m done,” she shrugged.

\--

“Get out of bed,” Raven said from her bedroom door. “Octavia is here.”

“I’ll meet you guys out later,” she lied, pulling her extra pillow against her chest as she curled around it. It wasn’t as warm or as comforting as Bellamy’s chest, but it would have to do.

“No,” Raven insisted, throwing the blankets onto the floor. “You weren’t this upset over Finn, why are you so upset about a guy you only dated for two months?”

“Because it’s different,” Clarke argued weakly, rolling onto her stomach.

“Griffin, get up,” Octavia called as she joined them. “God, between you and Bellamy, I swear there’s some kind of broken heart curse going around. I think he's even smoking again! You need to get up and get drunk. Girl’s night!”

“Bellamy’s heartbroken?” Raven asked and Clarke opened her eyes to gauge Octavia’s reaction—a definitive nod with a sad smile. She was still staring when Raven looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Weird timing, huh?”

“The weirdest,” Clarke lied before shoving her traitorous, teary face into her pillow. “Please let me sleep now.”

“No,” Octavia yelled as Clarke heard her heeled boots walk down the hall toward the front door. “I’ll be back to pick you bitches up in an hour.”

When their front door closed, Clarke felt Raven get into bed with her. “Why didn’t you just tell me it was Bellamy?” She asked quietly as her hand rubbed across Clarke’s shoulders comfortingly.

“That’s why we broke up,” she explained, turning to look at her best friend. “I wanted to tell you guys from the beginning, but Bellamy wanted no part of it. He kept saying he wanted things to stay between us, that it was no one else’s business.”

“So you broke up with him?” Raven clarified and Clarke nodded.

“He was ashamed of me,” she said as tears stained her pillowcase. After the week she’d been having, she was surprised she hadn't drowned in her tears. “Of us. And I swear I didn’t want to fall in love with him, but I did and I still do and he’s still ashamed of me.”

“No,” Raven swore and Clarke turned away from her to hide her face in her hands. “Clarke, he’s an idiot if he’s ashamed of you. You’re a damn catch.”

“I know,” she said, laughing through her tears. “Why doesn’t he?”

“I’m sure he’s realizing right about now how stupid he really is,” Raven promised and Clarke sighed, not quite believing her. “What are you going to do about the show tomorrow?”

“Not go?” Clarke offered. Honestly? She’d forgotten about the tickets the group of them had bought together to go see Hozier and as much as she wanted to go, she wanted to see Bellamy even less. If she saw Bellamy, she’d fall under his spell again and go back to hiding out in his bedroom when their friends were in the other room. Clarke Griffin didn’t hide from things… Well, except Bellamy Blake, apparently.

“You’re going,” Raven said. “You love him! Way more than any of us. You have to go.”

“I’ll go, but I’m staying at the bar the whole night,” she decided. “And if Bellamy goes, he’ll probably be outside smoking the whole night, so I guess it’ll be safe.”

“Good,” Raven said. “Then I’m not going to force you out tonight.”

“Thank you.”

\--

Clarke’s plan of avoiding Bellamy went down the toilet the second she got to the bar. “Hey,” he said sheepishly and she would have turned around to run away if it wasn’t so damn crowded.

“Hi,” she said, sliding onto a bar stool. He wedged himself between her and someone else and put his hand on her arm.

“I miss you,” he said and she pulled her arm out of his reach.

“Obviously not enough,” she spat as she flagged down the bartender. “Or else everyone would be over here asking why we never told them we were together until we were already broken up.”

“We can tell anyone whatever you want,” he said, speaking too close to her ear, and shivers ran down her spine. “I just- I need you to look at me like you used to. I need you.”

Clarke pretended to ignore him while she ordered her drink, but she couldn’t ignore the pounding in her chest.

“Please, Clarke,” he begged once her drink was in front of her. “I’m an idiot and I let a good thing go because I was too afraid to tell my sister that I was dating her friend. I was too afraid of letting the world in on my little secret and letting them ruin it that I ended up ruining it myself.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, turning in her seat to face him. “You’re an idiot.”

He licked his lips and was about to say something when someone shoved in behind him and pushed him to stand between her knees.

“You weren’t ashamed of me?” She asked, squeezing her thighs around his waist just to feel him and make sure he was real, that what he was saying was real.

“Never,” he promised. “I think I- I think- _I love you_.”

“You do?” She asked. She wasn’t proud to hear the breathlessness in her question, but she also knew that she was head over heels, madly in love with him.

“Yes,” he insisted. “I should have never let you leave my apartment. I should have taken you into the kitchen with me that morning and laid it all on the table. I should have never hid you or _us_ from anyone. I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to do this. With you. For real.”

“I love you,” she said quickly. It stunned both of them into silence as the lights around them went down and the crowd erupted in cheers. “I want to do this, too. With you. For real,” she laughed.

He nodded solemnly and she put her drink back on the bar to pull him further into her grasp. “I’m sorry,” he yelled over the mounting music and she nodded before kissing him quiet.

_Honey, just put your sweet lips on my lips. We should just kiss like real people do._

**Author's Note:**

> This is a slightly rushed story, but I planned on it being a set of drabbles and things got out of hand.
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts and opinions. I live for that stuff. Oh, and follow me on tumblr (bellamyfrecklefaceblake)!


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